


Strays

by multifandomfics



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Non Graphic Sexual Situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 18:50:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14291175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandomfics/pseuds/multifandomfics
Summary: Clint Barton has been assigned with one mission, eliminate the Black Widow.  What he wasn't expecting was that she was much more than what he expected and Clint as always rooted for the underdog.





	Strays

**Author's Note:**

  * For [melsmalone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/melsmalone/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to my bestie and beta Anne <3 <3 Our babies deserved better.

Clint watched from the vantage point.  The target would be approaching at any moment.  His instructions were clear. Shoot to kill. He was an expert sniper, and this wouldn’t be his first assassination, still it was never easy.  Killing someone who he’d never met, always left a bit of a sour taste in his mouth, but he listened to Fury. If Fury wanted someone dead, he had a reason and this particular target had more than a reputation for putting lots of S.H.I.E.L.D agents in coffins.

Barton was sent to watch from above and interfere if the agents on the ground level couldn’t handle the threat.  Clint knew they wouldn’t be able to handle her. He’d read her file. Clint was barely a match for her, nevermind the poor pawns that were sent in first.  Still, it wasn’t his place to question Fury’s orders. He’d sit and wait until they needed him to step in inevitably. He had no qualms with waiting.

It wasn’t long before he could see her.  The reports hadn’t been lying. She was gorgeous.  The pictures in her file did not do her justice. As predicted she tore through the agents like they were overgrown kindergarteners.  He had to admit that it was impressive. It was practically an artform watching her annihilate them with almost no effort. He wasn’t exactly in a hurry to get down there, it didn’t feel right to take her out from above.

“You gonna step in at any point, Barton,” his communication device rang in his ear.

Clint shrugged.  “And miss the show?  I’ve got to admit, Coulson, I’m kind of rooting for her here.  Are we sure that we can’t get her on our side? She’d be a great addition.”

“Do you need reminding of your orders?” Phil snarked into the comms.

Clint smirked.  “Course not, just trying to be a team player.”

“Well, it’d be pretty beneficial to your team if you could step in right about now.  Take the shot.”

Clint folded his bow up and put it back in his quiver.  He might go and neutralize the threat, but he wasn’t going to do it from the vantage point.  He had more respect for her and himself than to do that. If he was going to take out the elusive Black Widow, then he was going to do it in hand to hand.  If he was going to beat her, he was going to do it fair and square.

He leaped down from his vantage point and landed right behind her.  He moved quietly as a mouse, but still she must’ve heard him because just as he was about to striked she turned around blocking his punch.  It was like a dance the two of the them battling for dominance. It was one of the only times that he was ever well matched in a fight. He had to admit that he might have even been a bit out of his element.  He could hardly land a single blow and it was getting increasingly difficult to dodge hers. 

He wasn’t sure how long the actual fighting was going on for but finally enough was enough.  Clint had a job to do and as much as he was rooting for the Widow to knock his teeth out, he wasn’t about to give in.  He wasn’t a sucker. Finally, he drew his gun and pressed it to the side of her head.

She put her hands up momentarily before disarming him.  He should have seen that coming, maybe he did. It kept things interesting.  Still she’d just fought off his entire team, it was impressive that she was still going.  Clint settled on using his bow as his weapon, without the arrows of course. It was mostly just a way to land more blows and keep up with her.  The last thing that he wanted as bullet in his head, especially now that she had his gun. Still, it’d be a poetic way to go.

He was finally able to overpower her by knocking her legs out from under her with the bow and pulling out his other gun, pointing it at her from afar.  She was on the ground breathing heavily. All Clint had to do was pull the trigger. But he couldn’t. He wasn’t even sure why. 

He tossed some magnetic cuffs that he had in his belt over to her.  “Put these on.”

She eyed him curiously but obliged.  Clint had no doubt that she was already thinking up ways to kill him with her hands cuffed.  He was sure she’d be able to do it too. 

“I know the mission is to neutralize me… permanently,” She said after she finished fastening the cuffs.  “Worried they’ll see you on the cameras?”

Clint gave a shrug.  “I think neutralizing you would be the most foolish thing that my organization could do.  You’re talented. You tore through our men like they were nothing. You could be a real asset to us.”

She scoffed.  “I bet your boss loved that idea.”

“At least you get to live to die another day,” Clint said as he took her arm in his hand and began leading her to the transport.  Coulson was not going to be happy him. Fury would be livid. His instructions were clear. Take no prisoners. Yet here he was. It wasn’t Clint’s fault that he was such a sucker for strays.  

The driver didn’t say a word as he loaded her into the car.  There weren’t any other agents in the vehicle. S.H.I.E.L.D wasn’t expecting them to take any prisoners.  Clint made sure to keep a watchful eye on her, still she didn’t appear to be trying to escape. Maybe she was just trying to lull him into a false sense of security.  Not that she’d necessarily need to. Clint had barely been able to overpower her, and it was based on pure luck that he had manage to get her legs in just the right spot with his bow.

“I’ve read your file,” Clint said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.  “From what I understand your work with KGB hasn’t been living up to your usual standards.”

She raised an eyebrow.  “I’ve read your file too.  Is that supposed to impress me?”

Clint shook his head.  “I’m just saying, clearly your skills haven’t suffered--”

“Then how were you able to apprehend me so easily?” She asked, the corner of her mouth turning upwards into a smirk.

Clint laughed internally.  It was hardly easy. “Blaming the defeat on being off your game?  I didn’t think you’d be one to make excuses.”

“Not off my game,” she said quietly.  “Maybe just past my prime.”  
“Somehow, I highly doubt that,” Clint said.  “I’m just saying. Maybe there’s another reason.  Maybe your heart isn’t with the Russians anymore.”

“Cute.  You think I have a heart.  Don’t let my looks fool you, hawk.  My widow’s bite is still lethal. Putting me in a cage won’t change that,” she said.

“I’m counting on that,” Clint said honestly.

She gave him a look.  “So that’s your plan. Hoping to get me to defect. I have to say I was expecting more.”

Clint shrugged.  “Between you and me, you probably could have escaped from us the moment you put on those cuffs.  Why didn’t you? Is it because you’re curious? Interested in doing work--meaningful work for S.H.I.E.L.D?  Helping people.”

She blinked at him.  “You think that just because I look like someone you can bring home to mommy means that I want to jump sides?”

“I don’t know,” Clint said casually.  “I’m just saying that you could have escaped and you didn’t.  You said yourself that I was able to overpower you with ease. Why?  The infamous Black Widow has to have more tricks up her sleeve than that.”

She looked at him strangely.  Like she was trying to figure him out.  “Why didn’t you kill me? Your orders were to assassinate.”

“Says who?” Clint asked.  If someone on the inside had been leaking information to the KGB then he wanted to know about it.

She shrugged.  “S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t send their most notorious sniper out just to detain.  When the hawk is in its perch, someone’s about to die down low. I know for a fact that you had a clear shot.”

“Is that what this is about?  You’re not going to escape because I spared your life.  Noble. I thought there was no honor among thieves,” Clint said more to himself than to her.

“Not a thief.”

“You steal secrets.  Just because it’s not petty theft doesn’t mean you aren’t stealing.” 

“Fair.”

Clint took a deep breath.  “I’m not going to pretend to know who you are or what your story is just because I’ve read your file.  I’m not even going to insist that you join us. All I’m saying is consider it. You might be able to start washing some of that blood off your hands.”

“By killing for someone else?” She said with a scowl.  “You didn’t earn your reputation with clean hands.”

She had a point.  “They’re cleaner than before,” he settled on that.  “We do some real good here.”

“That’s what they all say,” she said knowingly.

He nodded.  “I bet they do.  Just humor me. Look and see what S.H.I.E.L.D has to offer.”

“And if I don’t agree, I’ll rot in a cell for the rest of my days?”  It was more of a statement than a question. Clint realized that.

He shook his head.  “We both know escaping wouldn’t exactly be a difficult feat for you.”

“Maybe not right now, but with all your agents having their eyes on me…” her voice trailed off.

“I think the world could be watching and you’d be able to find a way out.  I’m not saying that it would be easy, but I wouldn’t bet against you,” Clint said honestly.  

She stared at him for a moment.  Maybe she still hadn’t figured him out yet.  Maybe she was just stalling him for some reason.  Maybe getting captured was part of her plan all along.  He wasn’t sure.

“Can I take your silence as agreement that you’ll consider us?” Clint asked.

She shrugged.  “Maybe. From what I’ve seen, your organization could certainly use and upgrade.”

Clint laughed at that.  “Yeah you made our agents look like boy scouts.”

“Why didn’t you kill me?” She asked him again.

Clint smirked.  “Well because… what fun would that be?”

“Fun?”

“If I take you out of the game, then I’ve got no real competition,” Clint said, trying to play it off.  He still wasn’t entirely sure why he wanted to keep her around.

“Trust me, it can get boring real fast,” she teased.  She still didn’t look as though she was actively trying to figure out how to escape.

“I bet,” Clint said.  “I don’t envy that.”

“Sure you do,” She snarked.  “Everyone wants to be the best in the game.”

“I thought you were “past your prime.”  Or was that just some bullshit excuse for why I kicked your ass,” Clint teased.

She smiled slyly.  “Just because I’m past my prime, doesn’t mean that I’m not still the best.”

“Touche,” he said.  “Still, I took you down.”

“You didn’t fulfill your mission,” she said.  “I’m still breathing.”

Clint snorted.  “Yeah, they’re not going to be happy about that.  Still, I think I can get them to see things my way.”

She gave him a look.  “Won’t there be disciplinary action.”

He shrugged.  “There’s supposed to be, but how angry can they really get?  I brought in the Black Widow. No one else has ever done that.”

“No one else would have been foolish enough to let me live,” she retorted.

“Yeah, you’re welcome by the way.  Anyone else would have just shot you right between the eyes and never give it a second a thought,” Clint said.

She looked at him oddly.  “Well why didn’t you.”

“Told you.  This is much more fun,” Clint said, looking down.  He was a sucker for a redemption. Sue him. 

“Somehow, I doubt that,” she said.  “What do you get out of this?”

He shrugged.  “Maybe you’ll join.  Help someone. Then in a way it’s like I helped that person too.  Maybe I just don’t like killing when I see someone that can actually be of help.  Maybe, I just don’t have the stomach for it like I used to.”

“Who’s making excuses now?”  She asked.

The car stopped and Clint grabbed The Widow’s arm, leading her out of the car.  “Look, you’re alive. Just don’t make me regret it. Try and make the most of your second chance.”  She stared at him blankly and he led her into the building. Clint personally escorted her into a cell before heading to Coulson to debrief.

“Barton--”

“Don’t.  She’s no longer a threat.  She could be an asset,” Clint said shortly.  “There was no reason to kill her.”

“Really?  Considering you were the only one who made it out of that mission without serious injury--”

“They’re still alive,” Clint said.  “Come on. She’s the Black Widow. This isn’t some low level KGB agent, if she wanted to kill them, they’d be dead.  Besides, she could be a valuable addition to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Phil gave him a disapproving look.  “Did it ever occur to you that maybe she wanted to be brought in--”

“She knew I was sent in to kill her,” Clint deadpanned.  “It wasn’t like she went down easy either. I got lucky.”

“Or you got played,” Phil suggested.

Clint gave him a look.  “No offense, I’ve been doing this part of the gig a lot longer than you.  I trust my instincts over what you’ve read in your books. If it doesn’t work out then I’m sure you can brag about how she’s been apprehended to the World Security Council.  If it does work out then we just gained the most lethal covert agent as an addition to our team. It’s a win-win. Lighten up.”

Clint hadn’t seen her for a few weeks.  Not that he was checking in, he was just surprised that Fury hadn’t chewed him out yet.  When he did run into her it was on his way back from training. He had literally run into her.  She looked startled, but he was just surprised that they had let her out of her cell. 

“You’re still here,” Clint noted.  “I thought you’d be back in Mother Russia by now.”

She shrugged.  “Maybe you were right.  Maybe I do need to start cleaning my hands.  Of course none of that can happen until after I’m done with all these psychological evaluations.  They’re afraid I’m going to just snap and kill everyone.”

Clint scoffed.  “If you wanted to do that, it would have happened weeks ago.”

She smirked at that.  “Exactly.”

“Let me know when you’re finally allowed out.  We’ve gotta get that rematch in. See if I can beat you once we get you back to your prime.”

The corners of her lips turned up at that.  “You’re on, hawk.”

A week later the pair was sparring together on an almost daily basis.  It was one hell of a workout. She’d handed his ass to him more often than he cared to admit.  She made him a better fighter. After a few rounds with her, going out in the field was a breeze.  She seemed to be taking well to S.H.I.E.L.D. He had even overheard Fury talking about sending her into the field.  By overheard, he might have been eavesdropping. His hearing aids were a godsend.

They were sparring one afternoon, and for once he felt like he was really holding his own against her.  He still wasn’t getting many of his blows in, but he was blocking hers pretty well. Every jar he dodged.  Blow blocked. Kick countered. It was one of the few times that they were truly reaching a draw. After a moment they were face to face.  Their arms were tangled and they were breathing heavily. Their eyes locked and before Clint knew what was happening her lips were on his. His hand dropped and went to her waist, lifting her up.  Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he leaned her against the wall. She tugged on his hair pulling him even closer to her. Even kissing became a competition, their tongues battling for dominance.  It wasn’t traditional, but it was perfect for them. 

The sex itself was its own competition.  Who could make the other one come first, or scream before the other.  Natasha won. Par for the course. 

They were lying in bed, as Clint looked at her.  She was gorgeous, but she was so much more than that.  He’d been in this business for a long time, he never thought that love was an option.  Maybe this time, things could be different. If anyone understood the life, understood him, it was her.  

 


End file.
